InnerOS vs IFS Buddy
IFS Buddy is a free browser chat for parts work, with paths for beginners, people who know IFS, and IFS therapists. InnerOS is an iOS and Android app where ten parts of you answer in their own voices, and a session ends in a next step. Here is how they differ, fairly.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | IFS Buddy | InnerOS |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Free chat in the browser | 7-day free trial |
| Voices | One companion | Ten archetypal voices in dialogue |
| Aimed at | Practising IFS with support | Resolving a specific inner conflict |
| Platforms | Web | iOS, Android |
| Credential | Endorsed by an IFS training body | IFS + Jungian archetypes, no formal endorsement |
IFS Buddy Strengths
- Free to start, in the browser, with no download
- Separate paths for beginners, people who know IFS, and therapists
- Endorsed by the Mind-Beyond Institute, the official IFS training body for Australia and New Zealand
- States plainly that it is not a therapy replacement, with a crisis helpline up front
- By their own account, used by over 100,000 people
IFS Buddy Limitations
- A single chat companion rather than multiple distinct voices
- Browser only — no mobile app
The Verdict
IFS Buddy is the best free front door to parts work and carries a real IFS-training-body endorsement. InnerOS is for a narrower moment: a decision you keep circling, worked by ten voices in about ten minutes.
When to Choose InnerOS
IFS Buddy is the lowest-friction way to find out whether parts work does anything for you, and we would genuinely send a curious beginner there first. The reason to come to InnerOS is a different one: you already know the parts are arguing and you need the argument to end somewhere.
Common Questions
What is IFS Buddy?
IFS Buddy is a browser-based AI chat for Internal Family Systems parts work. By its own site it has paths for people new to IFS, people who know it, and IFS therapists, and three modes: Beginner, Self-Finding and Unblending. It is free to start, says plainly it is not therapy, and is endorsed by the Mind-Beyond Institute.
Is IFS Buddy free?
You can start chatting free in the browser, and its homepage says chats in the free version are not saved unless you sign up. IFS Buddy does not publish paid tiers on its homepage, so check their site for what else is offered. InnerOS has no free plan. It is a 7-day free trial, then a subscription. If a free start matters most, IFS Buddy is the easier first step.
Is there an IFS Buddy app for my phone?
Not that we can find. IFS Buddy runs in the browser, and its own site lists no phone app. InnerOS is an app on iOS and Android. If you want parts work on your phone, with ten parts of you answering in their own voices, InnerOS is the one of the two that installs.
What are the alternatives to IFS Buddy?
The main alternatives are IFS Guide, Harmony, IFS Space, TraitPath and InnerOS. IFS Guide adds a parts map you draw. Harmony and IFS Space are voice-first. TraitPath starts with an assessment. InnerOS gives ten parts of you their own voices and ends in a next step. We compare all six on our best IFS apps page.
Should a beginner start with IFS Buddy or InnerOS?
If you have never done parts work and want to see whether it lands, start with IFS Buddy. It is free and runs in a browser. If you already know two parts of you want opposite things and you want that worked to a next step, start with InnerOS.
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